Punters of all shapes and sizes graced the venue and packed the bar, but although The Globe seemed full up, it was more of an illusion caused by the tinned sardines hovering in the foyer when in reality we were quite short of a sell out. Numbers may be have been lacking but it contributed only, to make the experience more personal.

style beehive and a deep, dulcet voice. The three Bangin’ Rackettes crooned backing vocals at the side of the stage and the band provided old style soul music to flesh out the sound, with punctuating saxophone. Champagne featured bright keys, rounded saxophone beautifully melodious verses and a less polished but more upbeat chorus. The band’s unique cover of Bang Bang from Kill Bill was a standout song, with the tempo slowed right down, giving it a more mournful sound than one would think possible. One memorable moment was the duet between Browne and her sister Natalie (one of the Bangin’ Rackettes) about not letting a man treat you badly, the classy soul punctuated by more modern one fingered gestures. T he group’s sultry sensual cover of a Tina Turner number, complete with red lit silhouettes further emphasised the band’s great range. Browne was at her powerfully smooth voiced best with Stephanie, a bitter song about the dangerous woman trying to steal your man. Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes make music that is purely intoxicating, combining dirty doo-wop with sultry soul, slow hips and unison fingersnapping.Click the image to view the photo gallery[Photos: Cody Alexander]Continue reading The Cat Empire @ The Tivoli, Brisbane with Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes – 25 August 2010 – Live Review→

Review: Natalie SalvoIf ever there was a group that embodied the spirit of quality over quantity, then Junip’s it.

The trio – made up of José González (vocals, guitars), Elias Araya (drums) and Tobias Winterkorn (keys) – have released a few singles and EPs; taken a 5-year break (where the former toured his solo work); and are now on the verge of releasing their debut album, Fields. It took a lot of effort to get here (although it was by no means the longest spell – Guns N’ Roses anyone?) but in this case people will declare it was a labour of love well worth the wait.

González and Araya have been making music together since they were 14, having started creative life as a hardcore group. In 2010 they’ve taken a different musical route, improvising together to find song sketches and in particular, looking for beats and guitar patterns that stood out for their overall groove and melody. The result is 11 nu-folk and pop songs borne out of patience, perfectionism, inspiration and sheer bloody mindedness.Continue reading Junip “Fields” – Album Review→

Review: Denis SemchenkoAs is the rule with The Zoo on school nights, there’s only a handful of people inside the room by the time AXXONN – aka Brisbane electronic music artist Tom Hall – announces his appearance by producing a series of bleeps from his keyboard and laptop. Not deterred by lacking crowd numbers, he quickly fills the sonic space with heady drone-electro, hitting one cutting, heavily-sustained synth chord after another. As the kick drum gets more insistent and bassy, the lucky few listeners in the room begin to “get into it”, rewarding each track with progressively louder applause. Hall’s one-man show may not involve much antics to ensure an enthralling viewing experience, but the music itself makes for an excellent listen.Continue reading PVT (Pivot), Seekae, AXXONN @ The Zoo, Brisbane 19 August 2010 – Live Review→

Rocking great guitar riffs fill the sold out venue, slow notes trembling across the grey walls of a ruined cathedral set, preparing the audience to receive the voice of Tod Strike. As Judas, he opens the narrative by launching into ‘Heaven on Their Minds’, a song which allows Strike to demonstrate a truly commanding voice and worthy of one of the lead roles in this production.

This reimagining of the original production of Jesus Christ Superstar (first performed in 1971) has a pared back, post apocalyptic set that doesn’t change, and puts the focus on the singing, as does the score – which tells the whole narrative by using more than 20 songs to move the story forward. Not a single piece of dialogue is presented without a backing melody. The basic storyline is easy to follow – easier if you’re familiar with the story of Jesus, because even though this is a post apocalyptic version of a musical first performed in the seventies based on an interpretation of a book written centuries ago, the plot is still the basic biblical storyline of Jesus gets famous, Jesus is betrayed by jealous best friend, Jesus is crucified as a result of the backstabber.

The post apocalyptic setting of this tale makes it easy to draw parallels between this and the lives of modern day celebrities. The scenes where the supporting cast forms a mosh pit as Jesus sings boost the resemblance.

Anticipation levels high, crowds of dance-hungry fans packed Brisbane’s Hi-Fi Bar last Friday night to experience Art vs. Science’s much talked about ‘Magic Fountain’ live show. The night was cold and crisp and the excitement in the air palpable as hundreds of fans headed to the great venue for some high quality Australian entertainment.

They were first greeted by Sydney-siders Jinja Safari, who gave a solid set and got the audience members who had turned up earlier moving with their light electro-tunes. After a short break Tim and Jean appeared and really showed the crowd a thing or two about rocking out. It was hard to tell whether the musicians or the crowd were getting more into it, but it was clear that both were getting a lot out of the music as excitement levels began to rise and the venue began to fill. After performing their more well known tunes “Veronica” and “Come Around”, Tim and Jean gracefully departed the stage, curtains closing, leaving the rest of the night for the headline act Art vs. Science to fill.Continue reading Art Vs Science @ The Hi-Fi, Brisbane – 13 August 2010 – Live Review→

There are some musicians who blow us away with their musical talent and prowess, and there are some who whisk us along on a journey of high entertainment and fun. In a live show, David Campbell has a rare and optimum marriage of both features. His showmanship is second to none, his voice stunning and his persona endearing, making it a treat to watch him perform.

Campbell’s QPAC appearance on Saturday the 7th of August in ‘The Broadway Show’ began with an old favourite and ended with a well deserved standing ovation. The full orchestra, conducted by Guy Simpson, were positioned on stage as the audience filed in, and it wasn’t until the Concert Hall was darkened and the orchestra playing that Campbell himself appeared for a rousing rendition of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ ”. With the show to promote his new CD, titled On Broadway, Campbell performed nearly every track from the album and a few more, and it was clear that he was overjoyed to share each of the eighteen songs he performed with the audience.Continue reading David Campbell – The Broadway Show @ Concert Hall, QPAC, Brisbane 7th August 2010 – Show Review→

It’s hard to decide where to start praising The Boat People’s new album, “Dear Darkly”. The well established Brisbane four-piece has produced an album fluent in the art of quirky pop, a nicely eclectic mix of songs.

The album kicks off with the extremely enjoyable “Under the Ocean” with plenty of “ooohs” and floaty-sounding vocals, coupled with some skilled guitar riffs. “Soporific” is one of the album’s most memorable songs with a great beat, tempo shifts and best of all, clever lyrics. I love the song’s use of intellectual sounding words to a catchy tune. “Boy you’re soporific, but is that your fault or mine? Things they used to be terrific, but now they’re barely anodyne.”

“Echo Stick Guitars” is an amazingly catchy track that starts out with synthesiser and almost robotic sounding high vocals which become loud and chanty for the chorus. The song switches tempo back and forth, showcasing a sound which can only be described as unique. Sure, the lyrics mightn’t always make sense (“Hey champions, hey violins, hey echo stick guitars”) but this shouty pop song had me singing along for the chorus.

“Antidote” is somewhat reminiscent of a Kisschasy love song with its subtle vocals and rolling drums. “Live in The Dark” has a somewhat bold psychedelic sound that’s as complex as it is likeable. “Too Much In My Mind” is an upbeat number with a catchy rhythm, some cutesy synth and fun lyrics about the downside of being too introspective. “Hidden Buses” takes a softer accoustic tone, complete with husky vocals.

Closing out the album, at six minutes long, “You Are Adored” is a musically diverse, romantic (albeit slightly long-winded) ditty that made my heart melt a little bit.

“Dear Darkly” is a fantastic showcase of The Boat People’s scope for diverse, unconventional pop. From the sounds of this album, this band isn’t afraid from playing around with sounds and genres, and that is definitely a good thing.

After months of touring overseas, Scott Mellis (SM) is back in Australia to play a few shows including The Toff in Town, Melbourne on August 24 2010. We (LMM) caught up with Scott and discovered a talented songwriter thats had an amazing few months!

LMM: Scott, you’ve had an amazing last 12 months. Number 1 overall on Triple J Unearthed chart, gigged in the UK and USA and playing with some amazing artists. What have been the highlights and lowlights?

SM:It has all been a big surprise really. I went to the US with no intentions or plans to play music. It was actually quite the opposite. I was frustrated with how my music career was developing and had some issues in my personal life I needed to detach from.

But I lucked out! Basically from when I landed in LA, a series of fortunate accidents started. I got offered opportunities like supporting Jason Mraz and Tom Morello in Los Angeles and to play at SXSW in Texas as well as working with some insanely talented people that I now consider to be my good friends.Continue reading Scott Mellis – Interview – 10 August 2010→

Friday night at the Zoo, the crowd is still pretty thin as New Zealand four-piece The Artisan Guns take to the stage. Between bantering about having been awake for nearly a whole day, thanks to flights and time differences, the band shows off their ability for mellow melodies and beautiful harmonies. Soft vocals are teamed with perfectly timed guitars, with sudden dynamic upsurges scattered throughout the set. The group present a beautifully melancholy cover of the Michelle Branch